Wellness

A Naturopathic treatment plan will almost always include lifestyle recommendations. That’s because Naturopathy is a holistic medicine that takes mind, body and spirit into account.

Have you noticed that your physical symptoms flare up when your stressed or sad? Perhaps you’ve noticed that chronic pain dissipates when you’re engaged in an activity that you enjoy?

Your mind isn’t separate from your body, nor are your emotions from your symptoms. Being healthy isn’t about having the ‘perfect’ body or magazine shiny hair, it’s about actually feeling good.

There’s no denying that impact that stress can have on our health. Common physical symptoms of stress include headaches, digestive issues, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and depression. Chronic stress can lead to behavioural changes, such as over or under eating, increasing alcohol consumption and social withdrawal1.

Naturopathic lifestyle and wellness techniques aim to alleviate stress, improve mental resilience and increase positive emotions.

Some examples of lifestyle and wellness techniques include good quality sleep, spending time in nature, moving your body and practicing mindfulness.

Sleep and sleep hygiene

A good night’s sleep is the foundation of good health. Seven-eight hours of sleep per night is associated with the lowest risk for cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, a sleep duration of less than five hours a night has been found to increase the odds of obesity and type two diabetes2.

Sleep hygiene refers to behaviours and habits that help you get a good night’s sleep. A Naturopath can identify factors that may be affecting your sleep, and help you instil new habits that support a quality night’s rest.

Fresh air and nature

Nature bathing can be as adventurous as a hike in the woods, or as simple as a picnic lunch in your local green space. To demonstrate the physiological effects of nature bathing, a study compared a walk in the city to a walk and the woods. It showed that, compared to city walking, nature walks resulted in lower cortisol (stress hormone), lower pulse and blood pressure and greater parasympathetic activity (better immune and digestive function)3.

Movement and exercise

The benefits of exercise are undisputed. Exercise is proven beneficial for our hearts, bones, guts, skin and mental health4. Despite the endless list of benefits, most Australians simply do not exercise enough. Exercise does not mean slogging it out at the gym seven days a week. I often prefer to use the word ‘movement’. Movement can be an afternoon walk, gardening on Sunday morning, a bike ride or a swim at the beach. Find the type of movement you enjoy and move for around thirty minutes a day, at least five times a week.

Mindfulness and meditation

Mindfulness means being truly and consciously present in the moment. Our modern lives demand that we think fast, multi-task and plan ahead. We are so busy that we rarely have the opportunity to just be in the moment. After all these years of multi-tasking, we’ve simply forgotten how to let it all go and just be. Mediation is a means of practicing mindfulness. Meditation generally involves sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing. However, this is only one form of meditation. Visualisations, walking meditations and progressive muscle relaxations are just a few other techniques. Mindfulness is an evidence-based practice, with proven efficacy in alleviation of chronic pain to depression to improving immunity5–7.

Naturopathic treatment is individualistic. There’s no ‘one size fits all.’ A Naturopath will spend time during your consult analysing how your lifestyle may be impacting your health. Lifestyle recommendations will be tailored to your individual needs, with a focus on what you enjoy and what is going to be sustainable for you.

Change can be challenging, but I absolutely encourage you to be open-minded and willing to experience the benefits of lifestyle medicine. Implementing healthy lifestyle habits can make the most lasting and sustainable difference to your health and wellbeing.

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References

  1. 1. Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A. The impact of stress on body function: A review. EXCLI Journal. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480
  2. 2. Luyster FS, Strollo PJ, Zee PC, Walsh JK. Sleep: A health imperative. Sleep. 2012;35(6):727-734. doi:10.5665/sleep.1846
  3. 3. Park BJ, Tsunetsugu Y, Kasetani T, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y. The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): Evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 2010;15(1):18-26. doi:10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9
  4. 4. Viña J, Sanchis-Gomar F, Martinez-Bello V, Gomez-Cabrera MC. Exercise acts as a drug; The pharmacological benefits of exercise. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2012;167(1):1-12. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01970.x
  5. 5. Davis MC, Zautra AJ, Wolf LD, Tennen H, Yeung EW. Mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral interventions for chronic pain: Differential effects on daily pain reactivity and stress reactivity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2015;83(1):24-35. doi:10.1037/a0038200
  6. 6 .Goldberg SB, Tucker RP, Greene PA, et al. Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review. 2018;59:52-60. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.10.011
  7. 7. Black DS, Slavich GM. Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016;1373(1):13-24. doi:10.1111/nyas.12998